Humans Contracting Salmonella from Dog Food

Many people treat their dogs like members of the family. But what are pet owners to do when that family member's food spreads Salmonella?

According to NPR's The Salt, people are getting Salmonella from dog food. A report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated that 22 people in 13 states (and Canada) have gotten Salmonella as a result of a dog food recall. Certain brands such as Diamond Pet Food's "Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul" and "Country Value" were included in the recall that began in May.

Since the CDC has to assume that people do not share in daily dog food meals with their pets, there had to be another explanation. The organization found that owners are getting sick from touching the tainted dog food, playing with an infected dog, or getting up close and personal with their dog's feces.

The CDC further explained that the germs are transmitted via, "the fecal oral route." Therefore the infection can be spread from the stool or the mouth and can be passed from species to species. Even more alarming is the fact that Salmonella can last in pet stool for four to six weeks after the initial infection.

Unfortunately, toddlers are the most likely to contract Salmonella from dog food. A study in the journal of Pediatrics in 2010 found that half of the people sickened by an unusual Salmonella strain were children younger than two. Additionally, the current outbreak caused by dog food has seen patients ranging from younger than one to patients in their 80s.

The CDC has some helpful tips for staying Salmonella-free. Wash hands after feeding or giving pets treats and immediately after cleaning up after them. It is also important to wash hands after handling a pet. This is not the first time pets have been in the center of a Salmonella outbreak. Turtles were also once found to be the culprit.

Did you have to buy new dog food because of the recall?

Zoe Bain7-second life story: I was pre-med in college, until I realized that I could turn baking my problems away (instead of doing my chem homework) into a profession.

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